When it comes to the superlative, time-eclipsing musical achievements of The Beatles, technological innovation has been there every step of the way. During their heyday, technology marched arm-in-arm with the band’s strides in the studio. Their artistic growth was aided, time and time again, by cutting-edge advances in recording technology. There was the movement from twin to four-track and, ultimately, eight-track recording that mirrored The Beatles’ incomparable creative trajectory, well-served by such advances as producer George Martin’s innovative use of varispeed recording and engineer Ken Townsend’s Artificial Double-Tracking.
Which brings us to the bravura rerelease of “The Beatles: Anthology” series. Originally broadcast on network television in 1995, the multi-episode series afforded music lovers with the band members narrating their remarkable rise to fame, while treating fans to a fly-on-the wall view of the production of such masterworks as “Rubber Soul” (1965), “Revolver” (1966), “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), “The White Album” (1968), and “Abbey Road” (1969), the swan song that they delivered on the heels of their disbandment.
The “Anthology” project found its origins in the early 1970s when Beatles insiders Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans began compiling “Scrapbook,” their rudimentary attempt at taking an audiovisual inventory of the group’s history. As the decade wore on, Aspinall rechristened the project as “The Long and Winding Road,” refining the documentary’s scope as he accrued rare audio and footage associated with the Beatles’ unparalleled story.
By the 1990s, with The Beatles having settled their differences, the time was right for mounting the retrospective “Anthology.” Premiering on Disney+ on November 26, “Anthology” had been sorely in need of a makeover. Thanks to recent technological developments, the remastered series is a wonder to behold. Superbly rendered by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production, the “Anthology” comprises eight episodes, with a ninth program highlighting the so-called Threetles’ return to the studio to collaborate with fallen bandmate John Lennon on “Free as a Bird,” “Real Love,” and the tentative, early sessions associated with “Now and Then,” which would resurface decades later in 2023 as a UK chart-topper.
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When it comes to documenting The Beatles’ life and times, the “Anthology” series absolutely sparkles. The Disney+ release of the multipart television documentary is complemented by remastered versions of the original “Anthology” albums, which, all told, are comprised of a whopping 191 tracks. But the collection’s real gem arrives in the form of “Anthology 4,” in which fans are treated to a host of fresh outtakes spanning the whole of The Beatles’ career as recording artists. Standout tracks include take one of “In My Life” and “Baby, You’re a Rich Man,” songs that — even in their infancy — depict the band in full control of their powers as they revel in the pure joy of each other’s company and their rapidly developing musical prowess.
“Anthology 4” also features a generous selection of George Martin’s orchestral work, including his scores for “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “I Am the Walrus,” and “Something,” among others. Such moments remind us that The Beatles’ attainments were the result of spirited collaboration involving a like-minded group of dedicated artists, producers, and engineers. As the remastered “Anthology TV” series and long-players so presciently remind us, it’s a collaboration that will resound through the ages.
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